There is something about vitriol and disdain that can stretch a man’s ego. We are all aware of Isiah Thomas‘ blatant hate for Michael Jordan. The feeling is mutual. Jordan doesn’t like Thomas either. In the early days Michael wanted to show off so much, he demanded $350,000 more than the Detroit Pistons point guard for a cameo!
Advertisement
Yes, for a simple cameo in a movie, Jordan asked for an absurd amount of money. Keep in mind this is the 1980s. And while stardom was at his feet, he wasn’t lapping in it just yet.
But the NBA’s stars were aware of the effect he had on the league and media. He was the poster child. It was inevitable. Everyone from Larry Bird to Magic Johnson knew that Jordan was coming for their roles.
Isiah Thomas was supposed to be the next but he was getting burned by a young Jordan. And Michael went one step further when he signed for a movie cameo. Only if they would pay him 7 times more!
Michael Jordan made a demand to be paid $350,000 more than Isiah Thomas for a small cameo!
The rift between the two was so bad at the time that Jordan’s entourage, particularly his agent David Falk and agency, ProServe made a ridiculous demand.
For the movie Heaven Is A Playground, Michael Jordan was offered $50,000 to appear in a cameo. As per Sports Illustrated, Thomas was willing to do it for the same price. Naturally, MJ’s ego was bruised and he asked for a six-figure sum.
A lot of back and forth later, Jordan did appear in the movie. But for a hefty sum of $400,000. Tough for the studio, but for Jordan, it was just another day.
Michael Jordan’s relationship with Isiah Thomas was strained from the start
Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas had a notoriously fractured relationship in the 1980s. Several incidents led to a strained relationship, most notably the 1985 NBA All-Star Game when Thomas led a group of players who froze out Jordan. They refused to pass him the ball and effectively excluded him from the game.
Jordan was reportedly hurt and angered by the incident. He felt disrespected by Thomas and the other stars. The two also had several contentious matchups in the playoffs, with Thomas’ Detroit Pistons frequently defeating Jordan’s Chicago Bulls in the late 1980s.
Jordan famously walked off the court without shaking hands with the Pistons after a playoff loss in 1991, which some have attributed to the lingering animosity between Jordan and Thomas. Eventually, MJ’s Bulls would go on to beat the Pistons twice in the ECF and thus, ending the dynasty.
